The company chosen by the ACT Government to deliver a controversial solar farm at Uriarra won't use one of its partners for the project, as the firm deals with liquidation and a dispute with the Australian Tax Office.
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Solar power installation company SolarSave is a partner of Elementus Energy, and has previously operated at least four corporate entities with similar names.
Solar Save Holdings is the latest company formed by Mike Mabey, who has previously headed SolarSave Pty Ltd and state-basedcompanies for New South Wales and Queensland with similar names.
Elementus Energy, which won a bid to build a solar farm at Uriarra with a 20-year guaranteed feed-in payment from the ACT government, said on Wednesday it would not use Solar Save on the project after receiving questions from The Canberra Times.
Managing director Ashleigh Antflick said Elementus had sought preliminary design and engineering input from SolarSave for other smaller projects, but not the OneSun Capital Solar Farm at Uriarra.
Mr Mabey confirmed the SolarSave company registered in 2008 was currently in liquidation while Solar Save Holdings, registered in 2012 is trading.
Newcastle-based insolvency firm Shaw Gidley was appointed in November 2012 and held its most recent meeting of creditors on October 31.
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission lists the NSW and Queensland entities as being under external administration.
Elementus is waiting for planning approval from the ACT Government for the One Sun Capital Solar Farm project and has faced sustained opposition from the Uriarra residents.
Mr Mabey said there was a "loose connection" with Elementus but no contractual obligations between the two companies. He said any ongoing business would follow due diligence, before Elementus ruled out Solar Save's involvement at Uriarra.
"Our scope of works in the project was operational, not supply of materials ... our role was actually installation of the system, not supply of equipment."
Mr Mabey said the other SolarSave companies were likely to come out of liquidation after a dispute over GST funds was finalised with the Australian Taxation Office.
He said there was not a substantial number of creditors waiting for money from SolarSave.
On Monday, The Canberra Times reported the men heading Uriarra project were senior players in a failed NSW green-power company Jackgreen, whose treatment of customers attracted a damning report from the NSW energy and water ombudsman.
Mr Antflick was general manager of strategic operations for Jackgreen while company chairman John A. Smith was Jackgreen's chairman.
Mr Antflick encouraged ACT companies to register their interest for the solar farm.
"Once approved, the solar farm will create in excess of 80 construction jobs, and make a key contribution to achieving the renewable energy objectives that are supported by 93 per cent of territorians," he said in a statement.
"The government deals with Elementus Energy, we don't deal with any other company," Mr Corbell said.
Opposition small business spokesman Andrew Wall called again for a review of the license for the solar farm.
"There are still questions about the suitability of the site and the proximity to a residential area at Uriarra Village," he said.
Mr Wall said questions also remained about the government's multi-million dollar decision.
